The injury to Becky Lynch not only denied fans of The Man a chance to see her wrestle Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series. It also cost the women the main event spot (if you believe that rumor, anyway).
It did give us one of the matches WWE was reportedly considering for the last match at next Spring’s WrestleMania... Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair. After recapping the Lynch-heavy way we got to this dream match, the company got down to giving the match they had a big fight feel - even as the Staples Center crowd chanted “Becky” at the start of it.
Charlotte vs. Ronda started as a brawl, and neither wrestler managed to gain an advantage amidst the strikes, holds and takedowns.
After shoving the Raw Women’s champ face-first into a bottom turnbuckle, Flair went to work laying in punishment with a particular focus on Rousey’s legs as she tried to soften her up for her Figure Eight leg lock.
MY WORD. #SurvivorSeries https://t.co/P4vFjh5jYg pic.twitter.com/LpcEPc7BuN
— Italo Santana (@BulletClubIta) November 19, 2018
Like the already fabled Invasion from last Monday, the match got some inadvertant color, as Rousey’s mouth was bloodied by this elbow from the Queen:
#SurvivorSeries https://t.co/P4vFjh5jYg pic.twitter.com/y0AkfraxZB
— Italo Santana (@BulletClubIta) November 19, 2018
Ronda fought back, really turning the tide when she got both feet up to catch Charlotte on her signature moonsault from the top. Rowdy spent a little too much time firing herself and the crowd up, however, turning into a big spear for a great nearfall.
They battled to the outside and Rousey showed a vicious streak we hadn’t seen before, throwing Flair onto the floor and into the barricades. Back in, Ronda delivered a flurry of strikes and Flair answered back with chops which would make her father proud.
More chaos followed in a bout where whatever sloppiness existed helped sell the intensity. And when Rousey finally looked to have things in hand, Flair slid to the outside to escape an armbar. When Ronda followed, Charlotte snapped, breaking several kendo sticks on Rousey’s back and arms, throwing her into the steel steps and hitting a Natural Selection onto a steel chair.
.@MsCharlotteWWE going OFF!
— TDE Wrestling (@totaldivaseps) November 19, 2018
➡️ https://t.co/ePt5TzD6sU pic.twitter.com/8yfqX2Rn2h
#NaturalSelection onto a STEEL CHAIR!!! @MsCharlotteWWE #SurvivorSeries pic.twitter.com/fzQeAEoFwJ
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) November 19, 2018
Officials tried to pull Flair out, but she threw them off. Trapping Ronda’s head in the chair, Charlotte stomped on it to snap it onto Rousey’s throat.
.@MsCharlotteWWE has snapped!
— TDE Wrestling (@totaldivaseps) November 19, 2018
➡️ https://t.co/ePt5TzD6sU pic.twitter.com/1tr7Jni4mr
During this stunning scene, the crowd’s reaction was mixed - eventually turning pretty clearly anti-Ronda. WWE production was ready, and employed several close-ups to capture the stunned look on the champion’s face.
#SurvivorSeries https://t.co/P4vFjh5jYg pic.twitter.com/4YnX6Z3v2a
— Italo Santana (@BulletClubIta) November 19, 2018
Where things go from here for both wrestlers, and rumored ‘Mania matches for Ronda against either Flair or Lynch, will be very interesting to see.
Get complete Survivor Series results and coverage of the entire card here.